Review: iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3

So what way to go: iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3? It is a hard question, and there are verbal advocates and critics on both sides of the Android/Apple divide.

Also, check out the review for Apple iPhone 5c vs Samsung Galaxy S4. The iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 were the two most thriving handsets of 2012 and are still a few of the hottest cell phones in the planet, however which should you get?

Design

iPhone 5 – metal casing, 7.6mm thick, non-removable battery

Samsung Galaxy S3 – plastic casing, 8.6mm thick, removable battery

A casing of metal against plastic, and hard lines alongside smoother curves, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 have quite diverse approaches to phone design. The two iPhone models released before the iPhone 5 featured glass panels on the face and back, which gave the handset’s a hard, solid feel. Nevertheless, back glass plate has currently been substituted with metal – aluminum. The use of aluminum is what allows the iPhone 5 reduce to 112g and 7.6 thick.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has somewhat less of a fascination with being thin and small, and it is structurally nearer to its ancestors than the iPhone 5 is. It is a plastic-bodied handset – another design pick that aids keep weight down – with a detachable rear battery cover.

Audio

iPhone 5 – No Apt-X, 38S1077 Cirrus audio codec, mono speaker

Samsung Galaxy S3 – Apt-X Bluetooth, Wolfson DAC, mono speaker

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has a predominantly striking DAC, which changes your digital song files into the analogue signal that comes out of the earphone jack. The iPhone 5 encompasses a custom DAC with the Cirrus Logic 38S1077 class-D headphone amp.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is the obvious audio champ. Not only is its DAC better, it as well supports Apt-X. This is a premium Bluetooth codec, for use with higher-end Bluetooth headsets.

While using the normal SBC Bluetooth codec to stream audio like the iPhone 5 has to do, there is an evident loss of reliability, much like listening to a lesser-quality MP3 file. Apt-X is near-lossless. If you have spent lots of cash on Bluetooth headphones or a Bluetooth speaker, this is something to think about.

Price and Deals

iPhone 5 – £36 a month on contract, or from £529 SIM-free

Samsung Galaxy S3 – £30 a month on contract, or from £391 SIM-free

Now that both the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3 are no less than some months old, the advantages of not purchasing Apple have become extremely clear. The cost of the Samsung Galaxy S3 has gradually slumped since May; however in the majority of places the iPhone 5 has retained its original high price.

SIM-free the 16GB iPhone 5 costs £529, whereas the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3 sells at about £390-400. Somewhat better deals are normally accessible online if you look around too, allowing you to save some money with a little effort.

Screen

iPhone 5 – 1,136 x 640 resolution, 4in IPS

Samsung Galaxy S3 – 1,280 x 720 resolution, 4.8in Super AMOLED

Both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 have outstanding screens. Nevertheless, they are about as dissimilar as top-end Smartphone monitors get.

The iPhone 5 has a widescreen, allowing the display to expand devoid of making the handset any wider than the iPhone 4S. Less disturbed with maintaining the phone palm-friendly, the 720p 4.8-inch monster display of the Samsung Galaxy S3 does not compromise on size.

Post by Umair Masood, who writes his own technology blog at TodayonTech.com